Tracking Merit Badge

April, 2010


Tracking was one of four Historic Merit Badges reintroduced during 2010 for the BSA Centennial celebration and is no longer available to be earned.
Some additional restrictions include:

• Scouts must start and complete all merit badge work after April 1, 2010 and before Dec. 31, 2010.
• The merit badge will count towards rank advancement.
• No merit badge pamphlets will be printed.

Requirements for the Tracking merit badge:

1. Demonstrate by means of a tracking game or otherwise, ability to track skillfully in shelter and wind, etc., showing how to proceed noiselessly and "freeze" when occasion demands.
2. Know and recognize the tracks of ten different kinds of animals or birds in his vicinity, three of which may be domestic.
3. Submit satisfactory evidence that he has trailed two different kinds of wild animals or birds on ordinary ground far enough to determine the direction in which they were going, and their gait or speed. Give the names of animals or birds trailed, their direction of travel, and describe gait and speed; or submit satisfactory evidence that he has trailed six different kinds of wild animal or birds in snow, sand, dust, or mud, far enough to determine the direction they were going and their gait or speed. Give names of animals or birds, their direction of travel, and describe gait and speed.
4. Submit satisfactory evidence that he has tracked a human being and deducted from the trail whether it was man or woman, young or old, the gait or speed, and also give any other information deduced.
5. Submit evidence that he has scored at least 30 points from the following groups: Group (f) and 4 of the 5 groups (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) must be represented in the score of 30 and at least 7 points must be scored from (a), (b), or (c).
   Make a clear, recognizable photographs of:
   1. Live bird away from nest - 4 points each
   2. Live woodchuck or smaller wild animal - 3 points each
   3. Live wild animal larger than woodchuck - 4 points each
   4. Live bird on nest - 3 points each
   5. Tracks of live wild animal or bird - 2 points each
   6. Make satisfactory plaster cast of wild animal or bird tracks with identification imprint on back of cast - 2 points each